The 2030 TB Stakeholder Forum is made up of: representatives from the department; farm organisations; the veterinary profession; the agri-food industry; and the farming and research communities, with the aim of eradicating bovine TB from the national herd by 2030.

Among the groups that are involved at this year’s forum are: the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA); the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA); the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA); and Macra na Feirme.

We were here last week at a meeting and we requested that we be allowed in to the forum, to represent the 17,000 beef farmers who we think need to be represented in such an important forum.

“We have been refused permission. They said they would look at it and ask the people inside if they would allow us in in future,” said Corley.

However, he stressed that it was today’s meeting that the members wanted to attend, and that this is the second such meeting they have been denied access to.

“We have a TB eradication scheme that’s been going on since 1954, and has cost us, as tax payers, €6.6 billion. Now they’re proposing changes to it, and we see beef farmers as key stakeholders,” argued Corley.